Elephant exhibit, airport work top list of Milwaukee County contracts awarded last year

Milwaukee County Zoo’s Adventure Africa elephant exhibit, with its price tag of $14.1 million, was far and away the most expensive construction project county officials awarded in 2017.

In all, the county awarded more than $39.6 million worth of contracts last year, a review of bidding records shows. The new elephant exhibit is being rebuilt to meet revised standards for elephant care set by the non-profit Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The project contract went to Pewaukee-based VJS Construction Services.

That project dwarfed the second-most expensive project: Repairs to a skywalk and stair-tower glazing at General Mitchell International Airport. That $4.3 million project was awarded to TV John & Son, Butler.

When projects were grouped together by types, those related to the zoo, including the elephant exhibit, accounted for the highest dollar amount of contracts awarded by the county. Of the $39.6 million total, zoo work made up about $14.7 million.

Coming in second was airport work, both at the General Mitchell and Lawrence J. Timmerman airports. In all, there were nearly 20 airport-related projects. The total value of their contracts came in at$13.6 million – a figure that includes some projects that were paid for with federal money.

Parks-related projects came in third, having nearly $5.2 million worth of contracts awarded. The priciest project in that category was the reconstruction of the Kinnickinnic River Parkway, which was awarded to Waukesha-based LaLonde Contractors.